


Rites of Passage

by RandyWrites



Series: Birdswap - A Robin/Raven Role Reversal AU [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen, I'm making it gay deal with it, Minor Character Death, Multi, Origin Story, gotta be the change u wanna see in the world, tbh I'm surprised theres not batgirl/rae content out there in that wonderful wide internet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-01-28 07:18:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12601224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandyWrites/pseuds/RandyWrites
Summary: Rob/Rae Role Reversal AU. We begin our story as most do, with a fateful night that forever changed a young girl. And we shall follow many of her adventures leading up to chance encounter which will decide the fate of the world as she knows it.





	1. A Murder Most Foul

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning for whats up ahead: uh, death? I don't think it's too bad. But just in case...  
> Overall, this covers up to Rachel deciding to become Raven... so enjoy!

"Angie, c'mon, it's Rory! You remember me!"

"Rachel, please, just hide on the fire escape," a mother whispered to her daughter as she ushered her to the window.

"But mom, I-"

"Rachel, listen to me for once, just... please." It was her eyes that struck the eight-year-old the most then, wide and blue and begging. "Please, my little raven. I promise it's going to be okay."

And lying.

The girl only nodded solemnly and let her mother lock her outside of the apartment that had been their home for all of her life.

The banging on the door felt like it permeated throughout the building.

"Angela, lemme in! I jus' wanna talk 'bout things! Let's catch up!"

"I've called the police Rory. I don't want to talk to you, or anyone else related to Trent. Just leave me alone!"

The girl flinched when she heard the door bust open.

"Now why'd ya halfta go 'n do a thing like that?"

"Rory. Leave."

"I jus' wanted to see you 'n my niece, is that so much to ask, Angie?"

Rachel couldn't recall ever being told that she had an uncle, but if she understood correctly that this 'uncle' was from her father's family, she knew why she hadn't been told of him before.

Rachel's father was, for lack of a better term, a monster. Not in that boogie-man sense, of course, but in the morally-corrupt-slash-evil-deed-performing kind of way. He was the heir to one of Gotham's lesser-known crime families, and for the most part, was respectable to most of Gotham's elite. At least up until his ex-wife had had enough of his abuse, and left him, taking their daughter with her. He hadn't had the motivation before now to pursue them. And so that begged the question...

"Trent and I haven't talked in nearly seven years, Rory. Why this? Why now?"

Poking her head barely out of view of the occupants, Rachel adjusted herself to get a better look at the scene unfolding in her home.

"See, ya might not've been on speaking terms, but Boss has been keepin' an eye on the two of you. An' he don't like what he's heard of happenin' with that man of yours."

"What I choose is none of his business. If he's sent you out of some misplaced sense of-"

"I never did see what he saw in ya, Angie," the man cut her off while pulling out his pistol. "Ya talk too much."

Instinctively, Angela put her hands in the air in front of her, but Rachel could tell from the cold tone of her voice that she was still unwavering. Cautious, certainly, but she wasn't backing down completely. This was the strength and resolve that had Rachel believing things could still take a turn for the better.

"What does he want?"

"First thing's first. Awful quiet 'round here. Where's the kid?"

Rachel almost flinched away from the window, but her curiosity held her there.

"It's a Friday night and one of her classmates invited her to a movie," her mother lied effortlessly, "She won't be home for another hour."

"Well then, that makes things tricky, don't it? And your boyfriend?"

"He has a key, and he's welcome to drop in, unlike you," she accused, growing bolder as the man started circling the apartment.

Angela circled opposite of him, inching closer to the door.

"Now, don't get no bright ideas that you can run or anything," Rory said, acknowledging her plan. "One of the other guns' is waiting in case ya try to pull something."

"You still haven't told me what you're here for. If it's Rachel, I'm not letting you take-"

"It ain't the kid... yet. The boss just wanted us to talk, an' to talk to that boyfriend of yours."

Everyone jumped as the wall by the door received a loud 'thud'. The sounds of a scuffle just outside that room could be heard, and ended just as quickly as it started.

The doorknob turned, and in walked Joseph, Angela's fiancé, and soon to be Rachel's step-father. He had already been acting as a father figure for most of her life; Rachel never saw the point in the distinction.

"Angela, are you o- Rory, what are you doing here?"

Rachel didn't know it was possible for someone to sound so... unnerved.

"Hey Joe. The boss wanted me to tell ya-" BANGBANGBANG "- he don't like no traitors in his midst."

Angela screamed and rushed to her fiancé, who was clutching his stomach where the bullets had torn through.

He whispered something to her, Rachel couldn't make it out, and most of her didn't care to.

She wanted to look away, to run down the fire escape and get help. Or maybe to rush in and take the guy out. A part of her wanted to go in and make everything right.

But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything. She was stuck. She was frozen.

And then, the man walked closer to the couple, with Angela outright sobbing now, and Joseph starting to lose consciousness.

"He was a cop, ya know," Rory explained. "Took Boss long 'nough to figure it out. Was working on bustin' up our small part of the Trade... Then Boss had him tailing you. Trusted him to keep an eye on you an' the kiddo. Trusted him not to get too close to ya."

He crouched down to get at eye-level with Angela, careful not to squat too close as to get any blood on himself.

"He needed somethin' other than a petty reason to take 'im out, though. So imagine his delight when he figures out the guys' a pig?"

He stood back up as Angela only clutched him tighter, attempting in some way to stop the bleeding, but knowing just as well that he was already gone.

"Unfortunately for you, that means he don't want nothin' to do with you now, neither." He aimed the pistol.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of the kid."

Rachel distinctly remembered not screaming. She felt like that would have been the appropriate response, but she couldn't bring herself to. She couldn't let herself go at that moment.

She does remember that instant cold sweeping her body. The tenseness she felt in her jaw as she held back that scream that was begging to burst free. And she remembers slumping against the brick wall, finally tearing herself away from the window after an eternity of staring at the scene.

Her mother and father figure were slumped over each other when the man walked out of the apartment. He didn't bother closing the door behind him. He never looked back or looked around to make sure that there was no one else inside. He simply left them.

And Rachel couldn't bring herself to leave them now.

Even as she sat there, with the night's chill freezing her with every passing second, she couldn't stand to move a single muscle.

When a shadowy figure stood above her after jumping down from some height, she barely flinched.

He moved to the window, barely taking a glance at the macabre scene before kneeling down next to her.

"I'm sorry... I... I was too late."

She didn't respond.

He sat there in her silence for a long time. Long enough for sirens to be heard in the distance, and for them to get close enough for the pair to know for certain who they were there for.

"I'll stay with you, as long as you feel you need me," he promised her. "You don't have to say anything yet, but Rachel-"

She flinched then, when he said her name. His voice turned even softer. Who knew that Batman could be so... nice?

"Rachel, if you know anything or saw anything. The best way to get justice for them is to tell the police as much as you can."

"Can't I just tell you?" she whispered. "Thats what you do, right? Get justice for people?"

He hesitated, torn for a second.

"You can tell us both. I won't rest until-"

He was stopped as she stood up and held onto him. Her arms were like a vice around his shoulders and neck, and she whimpered something unintelligible into his cowl. It quickly turned into a sob.

He hugged her back, holding tightly, reassuringly.

He knew what had to be done then.

...

James Gordon could not recall a more heart-breaking scene within recent memory. The only thing that came close was the Wayne murder all those years ago... And he was struck by how history seemed to be repeating itself.

In his own place was the Batman, quite literally carrying the child through this tragedy as Gordon tried, as gently as possible, to do his duty and gather evidence.

The current commissioner didn't think too highly of Batman's brand of vigilante justice, but at that moment, Gordon knew that he was more than a vigilante. He was a hero.

Even when he confessed to Gordon about being tipped off about the hit, and how he 'failed' by arriving too late to stop it. Gordon commended him for staying by the girl's side, and being the hero that she needed most at that point. (And off-handedly commenting how she'd need someone to be that hero for her in a much different way, if she was to move past the trauma of that fateful September night.)

For a short time, the detective offered his own home as a safe-haven for her, at least until witness protection could place her in the right home.

It wasn't long until Bruce Wayne himself had caught wind of the Roth-Gonella murders, or 'Blüdhaven's Bloody Lovers Quarrel' as Gotham Gossip had taken to sensationalizing it as. When questioned as to his own motives for taking in the young girl as his ward, Bruce would politely remind the nosey reporters that he's had close ties to many of Gotham's socialites, as well as his own brushes with tragedy, and that Angela Roth had been a great friend and partner of his.

When asked to clarify what he meant by 'partner', he merely redirected the topic of the press conference back to his company.

None of these things escaped Rachel's notice. But she was grateful for the solitude that Wayne Manor had to offer, especially when compared to the overbearing closeness of the Gordon household.

Sure, she had formed a fast friendship with Barbara Gordon, but she still needed... some space from people.

It was just too much at once most days.

Bruce himself was certainly distant enough for her tastes. Always running off for some meeting or another. He always took a bit of time to remind her that he was there if she needed him, but... it seemed more and more hallow each time she heard it as he took off yet again.

Alfred was the only one who really made an effort, and for that she was certainly grateful.

One night she confessed to him that she was worried about Mr. Wayne's intentions. She certainly recalled a few times meeting him in the past at some Gala or event, but never having the kind of closeness to her mother as he seemed to let everyone believe.

And what was the point of such a public move then? Who was he trying to gain favor with?

When Alfred tried to reassure her that no such ulterior motive existed, she felt that some part of him was still lying.

Her observation had turned out to be partially correct...

...

She had been wandering the library for something familiar for the better part of that morning. Mostly uncovering literary classics and a few books of folklore and fairytales, she was beginning to question the Wayne family's taste in literature, when she realized she was having a rather difficult time pulling this particular printing of Robin Hood from it's place high on the shelf. It was the oldest one, certainly not ones first choice when offered it's newer brothers next to it. But it intrigued Rachel, and so she felt compelled to wrestle with it until-

Something went click as she only partially unhinged it from it's place on the bookcase. And then the case next to it began to move until it shifted away from the wall completely.

A set of stairs spiraled into a dark descent.

"Mr. Pennyworth?" she called, not wanting to run into trouble for exploring areas she shouldn't be in.

After no response was heard, from either below or on the current floor, Rachel was quick to decide that asking for forgiveness was just as good as asking for permission, and proceeded down the flight of stairs.

It went on for some time, the darkness seeming to encroach more as she delved deeper, until it started to lighten up again. The stairs were very sparsely lit, but it was enough to encourage the girl to continue her descent. It felt like a lifetime traveling down the stairs, until-

She slipped on a step after getting excited by the sight of a landing, and tumbled for a hot second. She was quick to recover on the end of the staircase, and after taking stock of her limbs to be sure nothing was broken, she glance around at the cave that she was sitting in.

Or rather, at the cavern she was in. The walls and ceilings held high in the room, reminding her of a cathedral, save for the stalactites that littered the ceiling and the stalagmites that covered most of the ground.

A path had been cleared, leading to a platform to make up for the curve of the floor as it sloped downward. Ahead of the platform it widened out, and several other platforms and paths looked like they connected to the main area of the room that had been built within the cavern.

In the middle of this was a mostly empty space, but Rachel could see clear tire marks on the floor, trailing off in one direction into parts unknown. Opposite of that darkness stood lots of complex machinery and monitors, which glowed ominously with a distinct and familiar symbol.

"I see you've stumbled upon our secret, Miss Roth," Alfred commented from behind her, making her yelp in fear.

"I will admit to the charge... I am Batman." Though his pokerface was perfect, Rachel couldn't help herself but begin to giggle. Which was soon to turn into uproarious laughter. Laughter that Bruce himself couldn't help but smile at when he found them moments later.

"Alfred, I thought I told you-"

"Master Bruce, surely with your many absences, you realize that it was only a matter of time before she stumbled upon this secret."

"Still..." Bruce turned from them both as Rachel began composing herself, activating the monitors and looking through files on the computer. "We need to remain vigilant to keep the circle small."

"Hey, if Batgirl can keep a secret, so can I," Rachel promised. "Who is she, anyways? She doesn't look that much older than me-"

"If you're thinking of leading this into a direction where you think you can join," Bruce cut her off, "You can forget about it."

Rachel pouted at his words, and steeled herself to confront Gotham's most terrifying force, who luckily was a lot less scary now that she knew the man behind the cowl.

"I know that the man who murdered my parents is still out there. And that neither the Batman nor the police have done anything about it."

"Rory Marino was apprehended two days after-"

"Not him. Trent Gonella," Rachel turned the tables by interrupting him this time. "My father. I told the police everything. I told you everything. I know he had my parents killed. I'm grateful that the guy who pulled the trigger is gonna be put away, but that doesn't stop the one who's really pulling the strings."

Bruce turned to face her fully, and she was struck by how shocked he looked at her understanding.

She took a breath before steeling herself yet again to finish her point. "It's not justice."

He finally started walking away from the monitors and back to her, sizing her up.

"If you had the power to bring him in or take him out, tell me, honestly," he crouched down to be at eye level with her, "which would you choose."

She clenched her fists in anger, but she wasn't going to let him talk so condescendingly to her.

Rachel turned away from him at first. "I know I should want him dead for what he's done. But..." She looked right into his eyes, taking in the clearness of his blue irises that were so much lighter than her own, near-navy ones.

"He hurt Mom a long time ago. He still hurts people now. And all of us deserve justice. He'll get whats coming to him, but it's not just for me to decide," she smiled then, tears starting to swell in her eyes, though she wasn't sure she wanted to acknowledge why. "I'm just a kid, right?"

Bruce glanced between her eyes, as if looking for something. She wasn't sure if he found it or not when he picked himself up and walked towards the monitors again.

"You're mother mentioned once how convinced she was that you were a gymnastics prodigy," he recalled, almost off-handedly in tone. "But your Kajukenbo instructor would disagree."

"My word," Alfred started, "you can't honestly be considering-"

"You're going to need more training. And," Rachel's eyes lit up as he took a seat but faced pointedly towards them, "you'll need the right equipment and the right name."

"Well, if Batgirl is already taken," Rachel put her hand on her chin as if 'in thought', snapping her fingers when she 'decided'. 'I want him to know who's taking him down. Not that it'd give us away, but...' "Raven. It's something Mom always called me. She told me that they were one of the smartest birds out there."

Bruce nodded in approval. "Alright then, Raven. We'll start by catching you up on the case, and what we need to complete it before we can take out Gonella." He gestured with his hand for her to join him by the monitors.

Alfred shook his head as he slipped away. Though he was proud that they were finally spending that much needed time together, he worried for what it might mean for the girl.


	2. A Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: Raven's mission becomes uncovering the identity of Batgirl.

They worked the Gonella case for nearly two months after that day; the day she had discovered the Batman's secret. In that time, Rory Marino had been tried and convicted for the murders of Angela Roth and her fiancé, and the police had found only speculative ties to Trent Gonella in the case.

This was something Rachel understood, and accepted. After all, they weren't focusing time and energy right now on connecting him to her parents' murder.

They were going to bring down his entire operation instead.

She'd only donned her own cowl a few times during this period. They were worked on a couple different designs for her own suit in this time, but Bruce had her focusing on training and fine-tuning her combat and detective skills, until he felt she was ready to do more regular patrols with him. She still had a way to go in order to catch up to Batgirl, but she was putting in the work.

They celebrated her progress, as well as her birthday, with a major drug bust that severely hindered Gonella's stake in the East End's market. Later that night, they had a proper party with cake, her new suit, and new gadgets for training: customized ' _birdarangs_ '.

And with every success she found, Bruce was finding more and more reasons to smile again.

Eventually, though, it came time to start pushing her away, as the breaks they were making in the case against Gonella were leading to... less than desirable places. And what better way than to keep her out of harms way, than to finally partner her with his first sidekick.

...

It was a simple mission to keep the pair busy while Batman did some of the ' _heavy lifting_ ' on the case. They were to watch over the mayor during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the renovated pediatric wing of Gotham General.

"Keep out of sight unless necessary. The media still doesn't know about Raven and we want to keep it that way for as long as possible. It'll keep her safe, and keep criminals on their toes."

Raven glanced up from where the mayor was giving his speech, and at the rooftop opposite of hers. Batgirl's head was nodding back and forth like a lifeguard scanning a swimming pool, alert and ready for trouble. From her end, Raven had a better view of a few alleys and easy line of sight into the wing itself, due to the layout of the building. Nothing suspicious so far.

"Anything yet, Rae?" Batgirl's voice rang over the comms as if on cue.

"Zip, nada and zilch, Batgirl."

"Good. Mayor's almost done here. We're free as soon as he's back in that car and off to his next event. I'm gonna join you in a sec."

"Ten-four." Raven muted her comm with a sigh, thankful that nothing went awry for this first mission together. She knew she could trust Batgirl with her life, and that the same could be said for Batgirl's trust of her. But Bruce was also currently pitting them against each other in his own strange way.

Or rather, he was giving Raven a test of sorts.

While Batgirl had started her own crusade about 8 months prior to Raven taking on her mantle, the girl had also worked with Bruce for the better part of those months, and had gained his trust and his respect. So much so, that she knew his secret identity, and by association, Raven's as well.

She didn't seem bitter over the fact that he had taken Raven 'under his wing' so to speak, and was even genuinely happy to have another kid aboard the team. Rae was grateful that she didn't need to feel guarded around the girl, but there was still the matter at hand that bothered her the most.

She had no clue who Batgirl was under the cowl.

Well, she had narrowed down her search initially to nearly every redhead in Gotham between the ages of 10 and 12, as Batgirl did give her a clue enough that she was definitely older than Raven, but not _too_ much older. This left only a couple thousand kids in the running. She simply didn't have much else to go on after that.

She had more of a clue of who Batgirl was as a _vigilante_ than who she was as a _person_.

And it was definitely frustrating the nine-year-old to no end.

"Still good up here?" the girl in question asked Raven as she climbed over from the side. This time, though, she wasn't asking about the mission. November's chill was just starting to settle into the city, and they each had switched their gear to be more winter-capable. Batgirl had taken the opportunity to switch out her purple gloves for thicker yellow ones, as well as new yellow boots. She kept her skirt design for the rest of the suit. ("Because fighting crime shouldn't mean I have to sacrifice fashion," as she put it.) As for Raven, Alfred nearly sent her out the door with a tacky sweater when he heard what the wind chill was going to be, but Bruce saved her the embarrassment by replacing her gloves and pants with ones made of thicker material, and giving her a thermal cloak that was longer than her usual cape. She was sweltering early in the evening, but was fine as night fell.

"Yeah, the wind's a bit much, but I'll be fine," they took a beat of silence before Raven continued a different thought, "So, you designed your gear and stuff yourself right? Before you started working with _him_?"

Batgirl nodded as her eyes continued to scan the crowd below them as they burst into cheers. "I was really inspired by him. And my first few missions, well... I guess I was trying to pick up some of the slack when he started moving on to bigger cases."

"Was there... _anyone else_ who might've inspired you?" Raven asked, hoping to be subtle in her probing.

Batgirl smirked, seeing right through her, but answering anyway. "My dad. He's a cop. He'd probably have a heart-attack if he knew what I was doing, especially when we go out on school nights. But what can I say? There's work to be done."

Raven nodded emphatically, keeping the information in mind for her research later.

"I can't imagine balancing school on top of...," Rae's words failed her so she gestured to the crowd dispersing in front of them, watching as the mayor was shaking hands with a few doctors and others.

"I don't mean to toot my own horn, but it helps when you're a genius like me," Batgirl smiled and 'checked her nails' on her glove-covered hand. Raven gave her a light shoulder punch and the two laughed.

In that moment, Raven felt her heart skip a beat, and felt that for the first time since her parents died, that she could really get back into making new friends...

If only she had anything other than a code-name for her.

...

They waiting on the roof of that theater for only a few minutes before Batman showed. Raven took note of the clear knife slash on the rib of his armor, but knew better than to comment. He clearly had a rougher night than they did.

"How'd it go?" he asked Batgirl as Raven shuffled along closer to him.

"No problems. Everything went off without a hitch, and they all lived happily ever after," Batgirl gave a shrug and a smile, "Would you expect any less from your favorite dynamic duo?"

He gave a nod of approval before tossing her a flash drive. "Add this to your homework for the weekend. A few more training exercises and case-files I want you to look over, and learn from. I'm sure it won't be too much for a _genius_ like yourself."

Her blush barely escaped from under her cowl. "How did-"

"You kept the comms open."

"Right," she sighed, "Anything else you need from me tonight?"

"If you want to stop any crimes in progress on your way home, feel more than free. Otherwise, get some rest and study hard. Be ready if we need you."

She nodded right back at him, giving a small mock-salute, before turning to the young girl beside him. "Nice working with you, Rae. Hope we can do it again soon!"

Feeling her heart skip another beat, Raven nodded back. "Ditto." And with that, the girl took off into the night.

"Well?" The man seemed to cock an eyebrow under the cowl at the younger girl.

"What?" she asked, cocking her own eyebrow right back at him. She placed her hands defiantly on her hips, waiting for him to elaborate.

"She's heading home," he stated it very simply, and before Raven knew it, she was running off the side of the building yelling back at him, "Tell Alfred I'm gonna be late!" He yelled something back about turning her comm on, but she pretended not to hear.

After all, why risk blowing her cover?

...

What she definitely underestimated, was Batgirl's own determination and drive to take down as many criminals as possible from between that theater to her home. At some points, Raven was soon to realize, she was actually going out of her way to find more opportunities to stop a few extra muggings or drug deals. Raven almost blew her cover when it looked like one gang was about to get the upper hand on the girl, but she persevered, and won Raven's respect and admiration all the more for it.

It wasn't until they had made a large circle around a particular area, that Raven realized that Batgirl either _knew_ that she was being followed, or just liked following a very non-linear way home. She was soon to get her answer when Batgirl made a sudden stop on one of the rooftops and turned around much too quick for Raven to stop herself mid-grapple.

She tried to duck behind that rooftop's water tower, but knew in her heart she had been spotted.

' _Crap crap crap, why did I do this? I mean, I know I want to know who she is, but this is really wrong isn't it? Crap._ '

"Raven," she called, "I know you've been following me. I've been trying to figure out if Batman's been following you, too. I think we're in the clear, so it's okay for you to come out now."

' _Maybe if I stay behind this, she'll just think she was paranoid_ ,' she thought hopefully, only to have it dashed.

"You're behind the water tower, I can see your cape."

' _Crap_.' Stepping out from her hiding spot, Raven made the quick jump down to the ground, tucking and rolling closer to the girl she had been following for the better part of the past two hours.

"I honestly was hoping you'd step in, but I get it," Batgirl raised her hands as if trying to be non-confrontational. "We haven't really worked on tag-teaming it yet, so who knows how those beatdowns coulda gone."

Raven held her arm, trying to look anywhere else but at the girl in front of her. She wasn't sure how to go about getting caught like this. She finally settled on an assenting, "Yeah..." for the girl.

Batgirl sighed and shook her head, placing her hands on either side of her cowl. "Here, I can't take us seriously like this right now."

And as she revealed her identity, Raven turned around and covered her eyes.

"Hey! You can't just-! I'm supposed to-! I-I- You-!"

"Look, kid wonder, your detective skills leave a lot to be desired, and you'll get better with time. But this is one mystery that doesn't need a big case to solve it, and you would've found out if I let you follow me down into my family's apartment anyways. That wouldn't've been a genuine win for you, so you can either take this honesty from me, or try to solve this on your own."

"I..." Raven shut her mouth immediately before giving a retort. One of the last things she remembers her mom trying to teach her, to think before speaking, rang in her head that moment.

On one hand, at least Batgirl was being honest with her, and on another, Bruce hadn't said anything about the girl choosing to reveal her identity to her. And after all, new evidence seemed to surface all the time on some cases they had worked on in practice. And they sometimes seem to solve themselves, if for no other reason than through confession.

Maybe it was okay to just let this 'case' slide.

"Fine. Then lets reintroduce ourselves properly this time." Raven pulled off her own cowl, keeping her eyes closed as she pulled a one-eighty. She extended her hand for the girl to take. "I'm Rachel."

She opened her eyes when the girl took her hand, looking into a familiar smile and even more familiar blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Rae, I'm Barbara."

Shock, at this point, was something Rachel was uncomfortably all too accustomed to.

"You.. You're.."

"You wanna have a sleepover tonight? I'm sure Mom 'n Dad won't mind."

...

Thanks to her forethought earlier that day, Barbara's cover of seeing a movie with friends, and hanging out with them afterwards well into that Friday night, was just enough to convince her mother that she happened to 'run into' Rachel and had invited her to an impromptu sleepover.

"Mom's super chill about this kinda stuff, almost every patrol I go on was a 'sleepover at so-and-so's house'. I almost feel bad sometimes..."

Of course, Mrs. Gordon insisted on calling the Manor after Rachel admitted that Bruce and Alfred weren't aware that she was spending the night, but she seemed fine with letting the girl stay after they had cleared up any potential misunderstandings.

It wasn't long before the girls were back in Barbara's room, the same one that they had broken in and out of so quickly to come up with their cover story.

"I feel like I had a sneaking suspicion tonight," Rae admitted, "when you said that your dad is a cop."

"I thought it'd be too obvious if I said he was a detective," Babs shrugged back, "But you needed the hint. I'm just surprised that you didn't recognize me through voice or charm alone." She smiled at the girl, hugging one of her stuffed animals close as they sat on her bed.

Rachel took a look around at the room. It hadn't changed much since she had left the Gordon's home, but it didn't feel as alien to her as those first few days she had stayed.

"If I'm being honest... I don't think I like to remember much of what happened after... you know." She clutched the pillow in her lap tighter to her chest, pulling her legs up with it as well.

Maybe if she curled in on herself enough, that sinking hole in her chest would disappear again.

Babs nodded sympathetically. "Yeah... That makes sense... But look, you can still talk to me, okay?" She placed a hand on Rachel's. "I'm not gonna pretend to understand, but I'll listen at least. Or if you want, I can distract you too. Speaking of..."

She turned to hop down from the bed and to her desk, where her computer was waiting. "I can show you the blog that started it all. Or even, some cool coding projects I've been working on. Or if you want," she turned around and gestured to the door, "I'm sure Mom won't mind us taking over the living room and watching a movie."

Rachel smiled wider and wider at each suggestion. "Lead the way," was all she could say in response, ready to let this girl take over the entertainment for the evening. It was the first time in so long that she felt like a kid again. That she _could_ be a kid, and just hang out with someone who _understood_ this new and weird life she had thrown herself into.

...

They had a lot of sleepovers after that first one. Both at the Gordon's residence and at Wayne Manor. Most were planned, many more were extremely impromptu like the first one had been.

And some nights, when Batman had them sent out on different missions, and Raven had completed hers long before the other had... Some nights she just waited on that fire escape outside the girl's window, for her to make it safely home. Even when it took all night, she waited patiently for her.

A lot of the time, Babs took that care and returned it in her own way, going a step further to helping the younger girl out on her missions. They worked up to being perfectly in sync when it came to taking down goons. They were inseparable.

There even came a point where Raven was starting to surpass Batgirl as a combatant, though she still had the upper hand on the younger girl in her detective experience. They complemented each other very well, though, and continued to learn from each other in each case that passed.

Until, there came a time that Rachel realized that her admiration for the other girl was becoming so much more than just that. This trust that they had built and this friendship that came to mean so much more to her... It was paving the way for something much bigger than she would have thought.

But for the time, the girls were fast friends. And all was right with the crime-fighters in training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" stuck in my head for a good bit of inspiration. It's the kind of song that makes me think of a young, innocent kind of love. Which I hope was captured in this chapter (though I think I might've been a bit heavy-handed with it??)   
> I should be working on my senior paper and yet. here we are...


	3. An Outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rachel shares a secret, and finds wonderful support.

Alfred found out first. He was probably the most astute when it came to such matters, and how could he not be? He knew of all the comings and goings of the manor, both on the surface and well below. Besides, he had carried worse secrets in his life. And for now, he had a share in this one as well.

He insisted that Rachel not be afraid to be true to herself, and to let Bruce know in due time, if for no other reason than to keep her conscience clear.

It wasn't like she was actually lying to him, but she still felt... odd about not letting him know that she and Barbara's relationship had changed. Granted, it had been a very slow and subtle change over years, but a change nonetheless.

Maybe it was because she expected him to already know, too, and was trying not to be confrontational about it. Afterall, she wasn't exactly breaking any rules or anything... right?

What Rachel had forgotten was that Bruce had only love for his daughter, and when she finally decided to bring up the subject, he was sure to show it.

...

"So... Harley and Ivy have been really quiet lately," she started as Bruce revved up the Batmobile to take them home. After the night they had spent chasing down the last of Falcone's goons, it was more than time to call it a night.

"Ivy's been cleared by Arkham. Harley is still on the lamb from her jailbreak in November."

"Has it really been so long?" she tried to laugh, but winced at how forced it was. 'Baby steps... ease into it Rae.' "Y'know, word in the underworld is that they're, uh, more than just, uh-"

"That they've entered into a relationship. I've heard," Bruce confirmed. Still in Batman-mode, but he was trying to soften up, Rachel could tell. "With Harley," he paused a moment, looking for the right words, "I always figured. She's shown that penchant for... flirting with anyone, everyone even. Especially after she left Joker. But Ivy..."

"She's still hard to figure out, huh?" Rachel guessed, and Bruce merely nodded in ascent. The conversation took a couple beats before Rachel realized how close to the cave they were getting. Gotham's lights faded into the dark greenery of the forests that surrounded the manor. It was now or never.

"Y'know, there's something that I have in common with them, though," Rachel forced herself to say the words. She had been practicing several different scenarios in her head for the past week. With her heart pounding in her chest, she had forgotten almost every one of them.

"Oh?" It was all the prompt that she needed before she took one last gulp for strength.

"I like girls _too_. And _guys_ -Ilikeboth _andmeandBarbarahavekinda_ -"

"Rachel," Bruce quieted his own voice to get her to stop rambling, and had noticeably slowed the Batmobile to a crawl. They were at least making their way through the cave. Just the out she needed if things went badly.

But this was _Bruce_. 'Things can't go badly,' she thought.

"Rachel, I'm glad you've told me, and... you know I love you, right?"

She didn't think it was possible for her heart to race faster, but it still felt that way. She knew how Bruce was forgetful when it came to explicitly expressing himself.

It didn't seem like there was a 'but' coming though... Not that she expected one...

"Yeah," she answered quietly. She waited patiently for him to continue as he parked the vehicle, getting out of it and moving to her side to help her out. He took her by both shoulders to make eye contact with her. No escaping now.

"You've made me so, _so_ proud over the years. And this is probably only the first of so many things that you're discovering about yourself. You've proven yourself to be smart and brave and kind in the face of so much that's happened. I... I couldn't ask for a better daughter."

It wasn't often that Bruce had these moments, and it was enough to make the young teen start to cry. She hadn't remembered feeling such happy tears in years, maybe never in her life. But she was thankful for them nonetheless. She pulled in for a hug, knowing Bruce wasn't one to initiate it but would welcome it nonetheless, and she held tight for what seemed like forever.

He confessed something before letting her go.

"I-... I have no idea what else I can say, or do, to help you... But I know two amazing women who do..."

...

Selina joined them with their orders in her hands; a double scoop dutch chocolate and rocky road for Diana, chocolate chip cookie dough (with way too many fixings) for Rachel, and a mint chocolate chip cone for herself. The ice cream parlor had been Alfred's recommendation. The overall plan had been Bruce's.

"I'll have to thank you, Diana," Selina opened as she gave each of them their bowls, "for bringing the sunshine with you. Gotham hardly ever gets such nice weather."

Springtime in Gotham was famous for bringing it's own special brand of foreboding to the city, usually in the form of relentless spring showers. Despite the unusual change in weather, and the fact that Gotham wouldn't be due for another rain in a few days, Alfred had insisted on Rachel packing an umbrella in her bag along with a few other... _essentials_. Diana and Selina had dressed casually for the outing, jeans and light jackets held in case of a surprise shower.

But between the high-rises and skyscrapers, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The other woman merely smiled as she dug into her treat. "Funny, I thought all Gothamites preferred the gloom of the city."

"No, that's just Bruce," Rachel disagreed as she mixed her bowl thoroughly. Nothing beat the surprise of extra M&Ms and chocolate chips in a such a sugary delight.

Diana studied the girl carefully for a moment, considering the young teen as she reminisced on what Bruce had told her over the years. The things that she had gone through, the pride and joy that she had brought him as they grew together from tragedy, the secret she had kept from him, until recently.

"So, Rachel, Bruce has told us that you've been having... troubles." Selina rolled her eyes at Diana's subtlety, but let her continue. "You know, on Themyscira, it is not uncommon for our warriors-"

"What she's trying to say, Rae," Selina interrupted, realizing that the amazon lacked a certain level of tact for the situation, and worrying that she'd push too far, "is that you're not alone. We both know what you're going through... we went through it too."

The girl set her spoon down in the bowl then, ice cream starting to drip off the sides from the heat of the rare Gotham sun. It was an unseasonably warm start to the spring, afterall.

She had been avoiding eye contact with them until this moment, and Selina could clearly see her fear, and most of all her sadness, now.

"It's just... I feel like I'm still trying to accept it. It's weird and.. and I'm weird and I-"

"There are many things in our lives that are strange and different from others, Rachel," Diana interrupted her thought before she could go on, seeing a tear welling up in her eye. She reached over to hold her hand in reassurance. "But this is _not_ one of those things that make it so."

"Besides, have you seen _Bruce_?" Selina laughed. "You're probably the most normal person in that manor. Alfred's uncanny charm _has_ to be a metahuman power."

The girl smiled as the two women shared a laugh.

"So.. when did you guys... _know_?" Rachel asked as her curiosity won out over her apprehension.

"Hmm, I think I always simply... expected it," Diana confessed after some thought. "Again, on Themyscira many of the amazons preferred each other's... company. Some preferred solitude, even. Many more... I am unsure of, but it was certainly very different from the way things seem to be in Man's World."

Rachel nodded in understanding before turning to Selina then. She had finished a good chunk of her cone by this point, which meant she couldn't hide behind the ice cream.

"Ah, well," she took a few more bites from what was left of the cone before answering. "It's hard to say. I guess I was around your age. It was one of those things, when you know that you like someone as... more than a friend, I guess."

The teen's eyes lit up at her words. "Yeah, right! I know exactly-"

"Well, woulda lookit that, Red! The cat's out on the town!" A familiar voice rang over Rachel's, grabbing everyone's attention.

The teenager's hand twitched towards her backpack almost automatically, ready to run and suit up. But before she could make any further moves, Selina's own hands stopped hers under the table. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, but Rachel caught the message. Now was not the time, no one was in danger... _yet_.

"Rachel, I don't think you've met Pam and Harley, have you? They're... friends of mine," she smiled knowingly. She slowly released Rae's hands as the duo brought some seats over. It was certainly becoming much more crowded at the table.

Harley, though still _technically_ running from the law, had decided to dress down for the _grand_ occasion of leisurely walking along Gotham's streets. She had on shades (a staple when one is trying to conceal their identity of course), but left her hair up in her signature pigtails, her outfit was still subtly color coordinated to her usual style. Pam seemed to be operating under that similar idea. 'At least they aren't dressed for their _criminal_ activities,' Rachel noted.

"Hmm, she seems familiar, don't she Red?" Harley tapped her finger against her face as if in thought. Pam rolled her eyes at her partner's antics.

"She's Wayne's kid, remember Harl? I'm pretty sure you kidnapped her _at least_ once."

"Oh yeah," she shrugged then, nonplussed, "Nothin' personal kid. In fact, it's one-a those wrongs I'm thinking about rightin'. Ya got your eye on a toy or something your dad won't get ya?"

"I'm thirteen."

"You're never too old for toys, kid."

"Selina, who's your friend over here?" Pam changed the subject, and was met with Diana's hand to shake.

"Diana Prince, I work with Bruce o-"

"Anyone ever tell ya, ya look a lot like that Wonder Gal?" Pam nudged Harley in the shoulder for interrupting.

"Go on, Diana. You and Bruce?"

"They work on contracts between Wayne Tech and the government," Rachel supplied effortlessly. Bruce had warned her about Diana's penchant for accidental honesty. He had told her it was refreshing to have a friend who never saw the need for lies, but also a burden when it went too far sometimes. "We're all... in the middle of something right now, actually."

"Rae, dont be rude," Selina chided, "They can join in. Hell, they might be able to help you out too."

Her face paled as Harley's broke into a beam and Pam quirked an eyebrow in interest.

"I used to be a trained psychiatrist, ya know," Harley nodded, "What's the matter, little Rae?"

"Uh-uh, no. I barely know-"

"Rachel has been having the girl troubles," Diana spoke on her behalf, utterly betraying her. The teen wonder had faced these villains in so many different scenarios, but none had to be as embarrassing as this one. Her face flushed bright at Diana's words, and she prayed to whatever god that would care to listen to end her then and there.

'Note to self, never let Bruce invite Diana anywhere. Ever.'

"The liking-a-girl troubles, she means," Selina clarified. It didn't help. At least, it didn't help Rae to get over her embarrassment. In fact, she mentally added Selina to her now growing list of 'role models turned foes'.

"Did Wayne hurt her feelin's?" Harley immediately scowled at the thought, "Cause if he did, your dad is done. Hear me, Rae? There ain't nothing wrong with-"

"OH-MY-GOSH," she nearly spilled her bowl trying to wave her arms as if to physically stop the words from coming from Harley's mouth. "No, he was totally fine about it! And, I- he.. Just. _Oh my gosh whyareweeventalkingaboutthis?_ "

"Because, it is nothing to be ashamed of," Diana answered. The other women smiled and nodded as Pam continued that thought, "You know, I would've killed to have half of this kind of support."

As soon as Harley opened her mouth to make a joke, she amended, "Not literally."

"Rae was just asking us when we... knew," Selina informed them, "Care to share your experience, ladies?"

"Hmm, it wasn't really a matter of when, but who," Pam confessed, "I never really noticed or cared much for, well, anyone. Until..." she trailed off, blushing a bit before Harley chimed in, "Aww, Red, you'll make me blush," and earned yet another good-natured nudge from her partner.

"But for me," Harley said, "it was one-a those things I always knew. An' one day I was able to put a word to it, ya know? But enough about me. Tell us Rae, ya got your eye on anyone?"

And at this moment, Rachel was grateful that she had just scooped a fairly large chunk of ice cream into her mouth. She hoped the treat was keeping her cheeks from burning any brighter than they already were.

'It's not like they know you're Raven anyways. And you don't have to tell them specifically who it is...'

Eventually she swallowed the ice cream down. "Um, yeah, you could say that."

It seemed that it was just the cue each of the women needed to lean in in interest, if they hadn't already been doing so.

" _Well_ ," Selina prompted, "You can't just leave it at that, Rae-rae!"

She earned a scowl from the nickname, but eventually Rachel sighed in defeat, and confessed to them what she had been holding in for so long.

"She's... well, she's been my best friend for, like, forever now. And she's so smart, like, she's an actual genius. And she gets so excited about her programming and coding projects. And she's got this really cute way her nose crinkles when she's stuck on a problem, but then the way her eyes light up when she solves it, you'd think she was stopping the world from ending. And-"

She caught herself for a second as she realized how she sounded. She was rambling, but she didn't want to sound like some lovesick puppy. She just couldn't help it, though.

Just thinking about the way that Babs made her feel...

"Oh yeah," Pam nodded as she leaned back in her seat, "You're in deep."

"Cute though," Harley said. Selina pressed her for more. "Well, Rae, where are you two at, then?"

"I mean," Rachel tried waving a hand dismissively, but felt her blush growing again. "I guess we've been dating. Like. It's nothing really serious or anything... We've just been, y'know, hanging out more and... doing stuff."

"Oh so ya definitely kissed her then, huh?" Harley guessed, and laughed as Rachel's face went from a lightly dusted pink to full on tomato red.

"Harl, cut the girl some slack," Pam chided as the other women joined in her laughter.

Rachel wondered briefly if this was what it was like, to have older sisters... or if this is what it would've been like if her mother had been around for this...

But for now, she simply scooped the last of the candy left from the melted ice cream, and hoped that they wouldn't pry any further.

...

Later that week, as she and Barbara enjoyed a movie together at the Gordon's apartment, Rachel paused it to ask her a question that had been on her mind for the better part of that week.

"So, y'know how Bruce set me up on that outing with Diana and Selina?" she started, rising from where she had been leaning against her girlfriend to fully face her.

"And how Harley and Ivy crashed it, yeah, you've told me-"

"Do you think they'll connect the dots if Batgirl and Raven are dating too?"

Babs closed the laptop she had been working from and leaned forward from her seat then, staring off at some point beside the television set. As if she was seriously weighing the consequences and trying to decipher whether or not they would really uncover the truth, she rested her head in her hands and made faces as she considered the options.

"Honestly," Babs sighed eventually as she leaned back in her seat, "I want to say they've got better things to worry about when it comes to Batgirl and Raven but... who knows? I'm sure they won't care anyway."

"Hmm." Rachel's brow furrowed in discontent. Having seen their _interest_ first-hand, she wasn't certain that she and Babs would be saved of that same embarrassment if they were to out their relationship while in the field.

"Hey," Babs placed her hand over Rae's as she took note of her silence. "If Bruce is cool with it, and if _you've_ already got the backing of _four_ supers, villains and heroes alike, I'm sure we'll be fine. On or off patrol."

The raven-haired girl blushed at her words then, watching her lean a little closer. She began to match her, but hesitated to close the distance.

"Can I... "

"Thought you'd never ask, honestly."

They shared a short, but sweet kiss then, just before they heard the door unlock as Barbara's parents entered the home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the semester is over. i might actually have time to go back and edit somethings now but have this for now.  
> raven has like 4 moms now. and nothing will stop my gay hands from giving her more.  
> sorry for anyone expecting like. an actual plot from this or whatever. I'm a sucker for fluff and anthologies what can i say. (also diana and selina are totally dating now. shh just accept it)


End file.
